Having to rely on the ferry system for transport, the first 40 responding firefighters stayed at the scene throughout the night. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The incident, which the FBI's Seattle office did not consider terrorism, raises questions about airport security. Nah, Im a white guy.. Lastly, we've been reporting a lot only on the most famous case of suspected pilot suicide, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, and this weekend's tragedy bears at least a few similarities. Russell was "tow certified" and had full security access, and had been with the company for three and a half years, CBS News' Jamie Yuccas reports. "I never thought I would work as a Ground Service Agent (GSA) for an Airlines company," he wrote in a blog post in September 2017. An hour and 45 minutes into the flight, Meyer crashed into the English Channel. Did you encounter any technical issues? "Russell had a few unexcused absences, but nothing considered significant.". While searching the crash site, investigators also located human remains among the aircraft materials. New footage released by the Port of Seattle shows Mr Russell who worked as a baggage handler at the airport preparing the plane for takeoff. KIRO 7 spoke with Russells friend and former co-worker Robert Reeves who said Russell was a hard worker who loved aviation, but he admits Russell was unhappy with his pay. Human remains were found in wake of Friday's tragic plane crash. "NORAD fighters did not fire upon the aircraft," North American Aerospace Defense Command said Saturday morning in a news release. Win Tickets to Weezer with Spoon and White Reaper at White River Amphitheater on August 20th! Neither the men nor the plane has ever been seen again. First published on August 11, 2018 / 4:48 PM. In the footage, Mr Russell can be seen calmly moving through the airport wearing a black shirt that says "The Sky's No Limit." "I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Playing What We Want In Seattle! That's just not safe.". Worlds Largest Passenger Aircraft Will Fly Again, Russia May Use Military Aircraft for Civilians, A Livestream of Planes Trying to Land at Heathrow, Why a New 5G Rollout Is Making Airlines Nervous, The Complicated History of the Very First Flight, The VTOL Future of Flight That Never Took Off. Authorities said Russell did not have a pilot's license. "My husband and I are recently former Boeing employees, and we were wondering why a jet was near the passenger airplane," she said. Moore stole (or stole and crashed) multiple airplanes, multiple boats, dozens of cars, etc. The jets' capability was appropriate to the potential task, one of the sources said, without offering details. "Here we have an employee who was vetted to the level to have access to the aircraft and had a skill set proficient enough to take off with that plane.". Onlooker John Waldron took video that shows the plane rolling inverted at low altitude, then pulling into a half-loop in a aerobatic high-g maneuver called a split S. Whether through skill or luck, Russell managed to pull the plane out of its rapid descent just above the wave tops. Surveillance footage obtained by KOMO shows 28-year-old Richard Russell using a tow vehicle to pull a Horizon Air Q400 aircraft onto the tarmac before climbing into the cockpit on August 10, 2018. It did not elaborate. At one point, he apologizes and says he is a "broken guy" with "a few screws loose. What was the richard russell plane crash story all about. Investigators said Richard Russell worked alone when he was working as a ground service agent for the airline, and that he towed the turboprop out a hanger, climbed into the cockpit, and took off. Also see | 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. Richard Russell said he didn't need much help: 'I've played some video The Surveillance footage obtained by KOMO shows 28-year-old Richard Russell using a tow vehicle to pull a Horizon Air Q400 aircraft onto the tarmac before climbing into the . SeaTac's tower began asking who was piloting the airplane, which culminated in the first of Mr Russell's exchanges with control that day. 2023 Cable News Network. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Videos Show Richard Russell's Final Moments Before Shocking Plane Crash The jets were not involved in the crash, it said. Video released to KOMO News from the Port of Seattle capture the final moments of Richard Russell who took a Horizon Air plane from SeaTac Airport without authorization, performed acrobatic. . A beautifully-written Rolling Stone article published in summer of 2021 tells the story of Russells life up to the moment he towed the plane onto the runway and hopped in the cockpit, attempting to find meaning or motive to help explain why this goofy, God-fearing baggage handler decided to steal a plane he likely knew he couldnt successfully land. Also see | Stolen plane narrowly missed family inside Ketron Island cabin. Cooper? Richard Russell, who stole plane from Sea-Tac, acted alone, crashed on "I thought they were practicing for an air show," he said. Richard Russell, 'Rich': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know His responsibilities included towing and pushing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, de-icing them, and handling baggage. I hope they can make it through this.". Airline officials believe he was in uniform and worked a shift Friday, Tilden said. Find flight for cheapWith its premium plus plan, youll be able to browse flight deals going for up to 90% off in business, premium economy, and economy class. Domestic Flights, Airplane Door Rips Open Midflight on Russian Plane, Airport Worker Ingested Into Jet Engine, Dies, The Concorde Disaster, Battle Tanks, and More. The family of a man who authorities saystole an airplane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and later crashed it called him a faithful husband, loving son and good friend. "The FBI is going to be thorough, which means taking the time needed to scour the area, delve into the background of the individual believed responsible for Friday night's incident, and review every aspect with all appropriate public and private partners," the FBI's Seattle office tweeted Saturday afternoon. Family of man who stole, crashed plane 'stunned' - KJRH Some speculated the plane was stolen as part of an insurance scam, or perhaps taken by terrorists who planned to use it as a flying bomb, but the truth remains unknown. ", First published on August 13, 2018 / 5:34 AM. The whole saga took place late on a Friday night in the west-coast time zone; by Monday morning, the constant news churn of the middle years of the Trump presidency seemed to have pushed any follow-up coverage of the Horizon Air crash out of the headlines. So many bags," he said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In audio recordings released over the internet, Russell can be heard chatting in an upbeat, enthusiastic tone with the air traffic controllers trying to talk him down. After Russell talked periodically with air traffic controllers for about an hour, the plane crashed at Ketron Island,officials said. Officials don't believe Russell had a pilot's license, and they don't know how he knew to fly the plane. Music from Green Day, Michael Jackson, Queen, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, Madonna, Pearl Jam, Fleetwood Mac, and more! We deliver the best in breaking news, live video coverage, original journalism and segments from your favorite NBC News Shows.Connect with NBC News Online!NBC News App: https://smart.link/5d0cd9df61b80Breaking News Alerts: https://link.nbcnews.com/join/5cj/breaking-news-signup?cid=sm_npd_nn_yt_bn-clip_190621Visit NBCNews.Com: http://nbcnews.to/ReadNBCFind NBC News on Facebook: http://nbcnews.to/LikeNBCFollow NBC News on Twitter: http://nbcnews.to/FollowNBC#Surveillance #Horizonair #hijacking Now, nearly four years after the event, authorities have released new video footage showing how 28-year-old Russell who went by the nickname Beebo got through the airport and into the 76-seat plane that he flew to his death. The job of a ground service agent includes directing aircraft for takeoff and gate approach, handling baggage and tidying and de-icing planes, authorities said. "Congratulations. Even with this new footage at hand, its hard to figure out what made Russell embark on this brazen, fatal adventure. On Friday, Horizon Air ground service agent .css-3wjtm9{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#1c6a65;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-3wjtm9:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Richard B. Russell got in one of the airlines Bombardier Q400 aircraft and took off from Seattles SeaTac Airport. Horizon airline employee, 28-year-old Richard 'Bebo' Russell, stole a plane and took off before crashing into remote Pierce County island As he flew the stolen 76-seat passenger plane above the Seattle area for nearly an hour on Friday night, Richard B. Russell was asked by an air . "Never really knew it till now," he said. Send us an email at investigate@kiro7.com, Multiple western Washington residents indicted in connection to coast-to-coast drug ring, Bank accidentally left unlocked in Fresno, police say, Powerball jackpot winner identified as longtime Boeing employee, Officials: Mother identified as shooter in murder-suicide in Ohio, Court finds Federal Way gun store in contempt of court. The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. Airline and Seattle airport officials revealed the following at a news conference Saturday: In audio recordings of the incident posted on Broadcastify, Russell can be heard talking to air traffic controllers as they try to guide him to land the plane. Richard "Beebo" Russell, the Horizon Air employee who stole a plane from Sea-Tac Airport on Friday night, performed midair acrobatics over Puget Sound and then crashed into an island, was an. "Seattle Ground, Horizon Guy. But could you start a left-hand turn, please?". The plane was a Bombardier Q400, a turboprop that seats 76 people, owned by Horizon Air, part of Alaska Airlines. Airports nationwide will now look at whether their security procedures need to change, CNN safety analyst David Soucie said. The Seattle FBI office said Sunday that it had recovered the flight data recorder and components of the cockpit voice recorder from the Horizon plane. Ah, dammit. "So, (he) had some knowledge but clearly wasn't a commercial pilot.". New video released Wednesday shows what first responders found after a plane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashed on a south Puget Sound island last August. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Join the Celebration of a Lifetime! The Pierce County Medical Examiners Office has confirmed the remains belong to Richard Russell, who took the empty Horizon Air turboprop plane from Sea-Tac Airport. Padilla and an a recently hired assistant boarded the plane, taxied it to the runway, took off, and head out over the Atlantic Ocean. A Russian Air Force engineer made off with an Antonov An-26 transport plane from Kubinka Air Force Base near Moscow. Maybe that will grease some gears with the higher up, Russell said to air traffic controllers. The Sky Thief Richard Russell Plane Crash Video Gone Viral: What Late Friday, a Horizon Air employee believed to be Russell stole an empty turboprop plane, took off from SeaTac and crashed on Ketron Island, a small island in the Puget Sound that is home to about two dozen residents. Russell, a Horizon Air ground service agent for three and a half years, was the only person aboard the plane, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said. You did that. The tower alerted the Portland Air National Guard base, which dispatched a group of US Air Force F-15s to intercept the rouge aircraft. An FBI investigation found Alaska Airlines ramp employee Richard Russell intentionally crashed the aircraft after flying for more than an hour. A fter 29-year-old airline employee Richard B. Russell stole a plane at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday night and crashed it into Ketron Island in Puget Sound, questions remain. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video Explained Surveillance footage obtained by KOMO shows 28-year-old Richard Russell using a tow vehicle to pull a Horizon Air Q400 aircraft onto the tarmac before climbing into the cockpit on August 10, 2018. Author: Elisa Hahn Published: 11/14/2018 5:51:22 PM New footage shows airport worker Richard Russell steal plane The body camera and cell phone video shows firefighters climbing through dense brush and fallen trees to get to the crash site on Ketron Island. Richard Russell Plane Crash Video From Seattle | Heavy.com "Russell was known as a quiet guy who read a lot," according to one witness statement. The man could be heard on audio recordings telling air traffic controllers that he is "just a broken guy." Plus we let you know whats going on locally with Lee Callahans Jacktivities! Alaska Airlines flight 261 took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on the morning of August 10, 2018. Authorities sent fighter jets to escort him, and the controller repeatedly tried to direct him to runways. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Indeed, in transcripts of his conversation with air-traffic control as he zig-zags the stolen plane through the airspace above the 15th-largest city in the U.S. (some of which can be heard in the video above), Russells demeanor goes from awestruck, to giddy, to fearful, to guilty, as he seems to process in real-time the weight of what hes done, and the unlikelihood that hell survive. Lee Callahan in the morning, and the No Repeat Workday while you work! the moments leading up to an airport worker crashing a stolen airplane, FBI released more information about Russell and the incident, employees and family didn't notice anything wrong, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Relatives of Richard Russell say they are "stunned and heartbroken" after the airline worker stole a passenger plane Friday from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and was killed when. Richard Russell: quiet, well-liked Seattle airport worker who stole a plane Sky King (RE-POST with new footage) || The Day an Airline Employee ", The statement said Russell, 29, was "a faithful husband, a loving son and a good friend. Authorities said he used a tractor to rotate the plane 180 degrees, positioning it so that he could taxi toward a runway. "Tower, you need to call and scramble now," one Alaska Air pilot called out. appreciated. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. [deleted] 5 yr. ago. strangest, scariest, most bizarre events of 2018. Those guys will rough me up if I try and land there," the man responded, later adding, "This is probably jail time for life, huh? Richard B. Russell reportedly stole a Horizon Air plane for a joyride before crashing and killing himself near Seattle. They say says this is a complete shock. Data from the flight data recorder showed there was a significant sideslip on the airplane during the last minute of the flight, but the airplane appeared to stay in control, according to the FBI report. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Surveillance footage obtained by KOMO shows 28-year-old Richard Russell using a tow vehicle to pull a Horizon Air Q400 aircraft onto the tarmac before climbing into the cockpit on August 10, 2018. That includes both domestic and international flights. Russell took the Q400 from a cargo area at the north end of Sea-Tac Airport on August 10. New video shows the crash site and blogging made by Richard Russell, the airline worker who stole and crashed a plane from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. ", "I've got a lot of people that care about me, and it's going to disappoint them to hear that I did this," Russell says. Others include how, nearly 17 years after the 9/11 attack, someone can simply take a passenger plane from a major U.S. airport without authorization. After proceeding through the pre-flight checklist and moving the pushback tractor, Mr Russell began rolling the plane toward a runway. Air traffic control became suspicious of Mr Russell after he cut in the line for takeoff. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. Jeff Wise is a New York-based science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. While investigators concluded Russell intentionally crash the plane, his motive still remains a mystery. Russell took off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 7.32pm on Friday and flew, tailed by F-15 Eagle jets, until the plane crashed at 8.47pm into Ketron Island, located 25 miles. NORAD scrambled two F-15 to try to shepherd Russell away from populated areas of Seattle, but at 8:46 PM, Russell crashed the plane into an uninhabited part of Ketron Island in Puget Sound. Its not yet known exactly what pre-existing psychological conditions Russell may have had, but in the course of his conversation with air traffic controllers he expresses racial resentment. In fact, there have been a number of occurrences in recent decades in which ground personnel made off with aircraft. Kathleen Reichel said she watched the planes pass by for about two minutes. Winter Weather Advisory expires for much of western Washington, Intertribal comedy sketch troupe performs 'Between Two Knees' at Seattle Rep, plane stolen from Sea-Tac Airport crashed, Stolen plane narrowly missed family inside Ketron Island cabin, released the findings of its investigation, Cockpit audio from worker who stole empty plane from Sea-Tac Airport, 'I was blown away': Stepbrother of man who stole plane speaks out. Foote was an experienced glider pilot and had undergone 100 hours of simulator flying in the Skyhawk and had hoped to become a military pilot before his ambitions were derailed by health issues. He passed a series of background checks to gain his position, as he didn't have any criminal convictions. The FBI also said it found human remains among the wreckage. At one point he asks the controller, Hey, do you think if I land this successfully, Alaska [Horizon Airs parent company, Alaska Airllines] will give me a job as a pilot? Told, You know, I think they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off, Russell replies, Yeah right! "Although investigators received information regarding Russells background, possible stressors, and personal life, no element provided a clear motivation for Russells actions.". One sketch that he posted included a drawing of a Q400 plane, the same kind of plane involved in Friday's crash. But the plane slammed into tiny Ketron Island, a sparsely populated island southwest of Tacoma. It evens out in the end.". He managed to proceed with his plan unmolested largely because no one thought twice about the baggage handler working in the airport's restricted spaces. "Nah, I mean, I don't need that much help. All rights reserved. With its premium plus plan, youll be able to browse flight deals going for up to 90% off in business, premium economy, and economy class. In the days leading up to the theft and subsequent crash, employees and family didn't notice anything wrong with him, investigators wrote in the updated report. The reason I left is in February of 2016 they were short staffed and they had me run three planes in the same time, Reeves said. He left prison after less than 5 years, on parole. (DAILY NEWS VIDEO) . "A couple of the turns, it looked like what we call in basic flight training a 'coordinated turn,' meaning that he not only used the yoke but you also coordinate with the rudders and you do the turns. The sky thief Richard Russell captivated the audience's attention after the Authorities at the Port of Seattle released an airport surveillance video of plane stealing. The plane eventually crashed on sparsely populated Ketron Island, starting a fire in the woods but injuring no one outside the plane. He said his actions were "going to disappoint" the people who cared for him, and described himself as "just a broken guy" with "a few screws loose, I guess.". Foote served four and a half months in the brig and later went on to become a test pilot in civilian life. Russell's family said in a statement that they were stunned and heartbroken. New video shows fiery scene of stolen plane crash on Ketron Island Later that day he stole an Alaska Air turboprop aircraft and crashed it into a remote island in Puget Sound. On his Facebook page, which had limited public access, he said he was from Wasilla, Alaska; lived in Sumner, Washington; and was married in 2012. "Oh man. ", "I've got a lot of people that care about me," the man later said.